Deputy Minister of Education and Training Lê Quân and Vice President of Qualcomm Becky Fraser at the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation on Thursday in Hà Nội.— VNS Photo Nguyễn Hằng

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam has taken a fresh step to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation in education, as the Ministry of Education and Training and US technology group Qualcomm on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding expected to strengthen the sector in the years ahead.

The partnership aims to promote scientific research, AI training and digital transformation initiatives, reinforcing institutional capacity across Việt Nam’s education system.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Hà Nội, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Lê Quân said the agreement marked the start of a new phase of cooperation between the ministry and Qualcomm, enabling both sides to carry out joint initiatives in a coordinated and effective manner.

He said the cooperation framework focuses on three main areas.

First, the two sides will work together to develop high-quality human resources in key fields, particularly to serve Việt Nam’s digital transformation agenda, AI development and other emerging technologies in which Qualcomm has strong expertise.

Under the agreement, Qualcomm will support Vietnamese educational institutions in designing and delivering training programmes to help build a workforce suited to the country’s needs in the new development context.

Second, the partnership will aim to strengthen capacity for innovation-driven research.

This includes jointly developing research centres and projects, as well as cooperation in technology transfer, which is expected to help Vietnamese universities enhance innovation capacity and better respond to evolving socio-economic demands.

Third, the two sides will cooperate to support the ministry in implementing comprehensive digital transformation, in line with upcoming plans to realise resolutions issued by the Party Central Committee.

“These are the three key pillars of cooperation that we have agreed upon at today’s signing ceremony,” Quân said.

Also speaking at the event, Becky Fraser, Vice President of Qualcomm, said the agreement marked a significant step forward in the partnership.

“Today, we take a partnership to a new level one built on shared values and a common goal: to empower Việt Nam’s students, educators and entrepreneurs through technology, research and capacity building,” she said.

Qualcomm is committed to its work in Việt Nam, including fostering scientific research and providing training in advanced wireless communications technologies and AI to drive innovation in both the US and Việt Nam.

She added that the support of the Vietnamese Government, particularly the education ministry and the Ministry of Science and Technology, has been essential and that the company is appreciative.

In the coming period, Qualcomm plans to establish an Edge AI Lab at Hà Nội University of Science and Technology, providing hands-on AI training and access to advanced hardware to support practical learning and experimentation.

The company will also build on the recently announced launch of the Qualcomm Intellectual Property Training Platform, L2Pro Vietnam.

The e-learning platform aims to raise intellectual property awareness among innovators, entrepreneurs and students while guiding them through successful patent registration.

Within just three months, the platform has attracted more than 1,200 registered learners, with 460 completing the courses, highlighting Việt Nam’s growing focus on innovation and intellectual property.

Qualcomm will continue the Qualcomm Vietnam Innovation Challenge, an initiative that nurtures innovation from the development of university research projects to securing intellectual property protection, driving commercialisation and strengthening links between academia and industry.

“We also plan to advance AI research projects by collaborating with leading Vietnamese institutions on AI research, fostering academic excellence and technological advancement. I hope with this MoU, Qualcomm and the Việt Nam Government will build a foundation for long-term, sustainable collaboration,” she said. — VNS